Gas discharge tubes, such as those used in neon lighting, are mounted in a variety of environments. For example, many neon lights are used as hanging displays in windows. In this environment, the neon tubes are mounted in the base of the light and ultimately connected to a power source. The neon tubes are typically permanently affixed to a grid, frame, or panel of metal or other material to which a power source is connected. In other applications, the gas discharge tubes are mounted in a base or through a panel that often contains the appropriate circuitry for lighting the gas discharge tube.
Conventional devices may use a socket for receiving the electrode of a gas discharge tube, but such devices rely on gravity or additional supports to hold the tube. Those devices cannot support the discharge tube if the tube is merely inserted into the socket. Thus, the devices become more expensive to manufacture. Additionally, either the tube remains relatively loose within the socket or, if additional support brackets are provided, it becomes difficult to interchange the gas discharge tube.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide an economical socket in which a gas discharge tube could easily be inserted and removed. The socket would easily be mounted along a flat surface within a base or along a wall.